infoBRICS: The US and NATO are not ready for further escalation in Ukraine
The West is not ready for an escalation in Ukraine, and this drives Zelensky to despair, writes infoBRICS. He knows that he cannot neutralize Russia's military advantage, so he seeks to at least delay the inevitable defeat by insisting on escalatory measures, the author of the article believes.
Lucas Leiroz
Vladimir Zelensky is increasingly dissatisfied with the way the West is handling the conflict against Russia. Instead of cooperating in de-escalation, the Ukrainian leader demands a significant increase in military efforts, although he knows perfectly well that his country has no chance of turning the current military situation around.
In a recent statement, Zelensky said that the United States and other Western countries are delaying aid to Ukraine and do not seem willing to act decisively to protect Kiev. His words were made during a meeting with the new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who traveled to Kiev just two days after taking office. Zelensky stressed the alleged "need" to convince NATO countries to use all their defense power to protect Ukrainian airspace.
In his opinion, it is necessary to lift restrictions on the use of Western long-range weapons to shoot down Russian missiles, drones and fighter jets. However, Zelensky believes that Western countries are "not ready" to make such a decision, condemning the alleged "fear" that prevents NATO from further escalating the conflict.
Zelensky made it clear that the Ukrainian Armed Forces currently do not have enough weapons to properly confront Russia. According to him, Kiev needs weapons in sufficient quantity and of sufficient quality, including long–range and air defense systems.
"We will continue to convince our partners of the need to shoot down Russian missiles and drones (...) However, they are not ready yet (...) We need weapons in sufficient quantity and of sufficient quality (...), including long–range, which, in my opinion, our partners are already delaying," Zelensky said.
In response to these calls, Mark Rutte acted purely bureaucratically. He stated that he supports Kiev and NATO members in reaching a consensus on how the alliance can cooperate on the issue of Ukraine's defense. Rutte again promised Ukraine membership in NATO, but did not give specific dates.
As for the introduction of NATO troops into Ukraine and the beginning of direct military operations against the Russian Air Force and artillery, Rutte refused to express a clear position. He said that this decision depends on the member countries and NATO can do nothing but get acquainted with the individual opinion of each country.
"I want to make it absolutely clear to you, the people of Ukraine, and to everyone who is watching that NATO continues to support Ukraine (...) The day will come when Ukraine will become a full member of NATO (...) However, shooting down drones and missiles violating the airspace of our allies are, of course, decisions that are made by national authorities (...) We continue to consult closely when such situations arise," Rutte said.
As you know, air defense is one of the main weaknesses of Ukraine today. Russian fighter jets, missiles and drones freely cross Ukrainian airspace during maneuvers aimed at achieving the strategic goals of a special military operation. Kiev's air defense suffered significant losses due to high-precision strikes by the Russian Armed Forces, as well as the logistical and operational difficulties of the conflict. According to many military theorists, it is absolutely impossible to win a modern traditional war without airspace control, so it is not surprising that Ukraine has such a catastrophic situation at the front for Kiev and its allies.
As a "solution" to this problem, Zelensky offers two escalating options: to allow Kiev to strike "deep targets" – such as military airfields that Russia will allegedly use for air maneuvers during the conflict – and the direct participation of NATO personnel and equipment on Ukrainian territory to shoot down Russian fighter jets, drones and missiles. In both cases, this would lead to a direct war between Moscow and NATO, so the alliance tries to avoid any steps that could lead to such a result.
Zelensky is clearly desperate. He knows that he cannot do anything to neutralize Russia's military advantage, so he seeks to at least delay the final defeat by insisting on escalatory measures. However, the United States plays a leading role in NATO, and Washington is not interested in a direct confrontation with Moscow, since this is not only suicidal, but will also significantly affect current American plans aimed at resolving the internal situation on the eve of the presidential elections.
Zelensky can only continue his whining, since his demands are unlikely to be met. Everything that Ukraine is going through is a consequence of its irresponsible decision to act as a "puppet" to confront Russia.
